All participants shortlisted for the competition are less than two years old and have so far raised less than $500,000 in funding. Another common thread binding them all is that all of the participants have built at least one minimum viable product.

Overall, ten startups will compete for the top prize which includes monetary rewards, as well as the opportunity to compete at the Seedstars Summit global chapter to be hosted in Switzerland next year. Worth noting here is that the winner of the worldwide competition receives $1 million in cash in addition to other perks.

“Since this will be our second time organizing the event at Kuwait City, the stakes are high, and we are very excited,” said Meghan Warner, Seedstars’ Regional Manager for MENA. She added: “We’ve been in this ecosystem for more than two years now and know there are companies in Kuwait developing high-quality products. We are looking for the best and will take it with us to Switzerland in 2019.”

According to KFAS, a competition like Seedstars World does a great deal of service to their ongoing efforts to develop the human capital of Kuwait in the fields of science, innovation, and technology. “We saw Seedstars Kuwait City initiative as a good platform for the local startup community since it has the potential to open new doors to them for international opportunities,” the organization said in a statement.